


Who You Gonna Call?

by iamnotmagic_cath



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Ghost busting, M/M, Minor Character Death (but in the past), Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-19 03:32:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11304807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamnotmagic_cath/pseuds/iamnotmagic_cath
Summary: “Will you go to the dinner with me?”Geno had been waiting for a long time to hear those words from Sid, and normally those words would make Geno think Sid might return those feelings, except they had been preceded by, “Hey Geno, I have a huge favor to ask you. I have a case at a local hotel, but the manager doesn’t want to alarm the guests so they asked me to blend in and bring a date to this fancy soiree they’re holding tonight. If you don’t have any plans…”Or, Sid and Geno fake date and bust ghosts





	Who You Gonna Call?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bicroft](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bicroft/gifts).



> Big thanks to Snickfic and ladyalysv for hosting the exchange and doing their part to swell the ranks of the Sid/Geno tag on AO3, and big thanks to bicroft for having awesome prompts and awesome fic (I tried to include as much as possible, so I hope you like it!). I apologize for the title, and also for the blatant line-stealing from Parks & Rec.

“Will you go to the dinner with me?”

Geno had been waiting for a long time to hear those words from Sid, or at least something similar. After several years working as Sidney Crosby’s assistant-slash-secretary he was a little bit in love with him. And normally those words would make Geno think Sid might return those feelings, except they had been preceded by, “Hey Geno, I have a huge favor to ask you. I have a case at a local hotel, but the manager doesn’t want to alarm the guests so they asked me to blend in and bring a date to this fancy soiree they’re holding tonight. If you don’t have any plans…”

Sid looked appropriately guilty at the thought of interrupting Geno’s plans for the night (which he shouldn’t; Geno didn’t have any plans except a sad lonely dinner with Jeffrey and Dixi). And while Geno didn’t need to torture himself by going on a fake date with the man he’d been enamored with for ages, he also didn’t know how to say no when Sid really needed him (plus, he reasoned to himself, he could always use more experience in dispersing a haunting). So he made a mental note to set his DVR to record the newest Bachelorette episode and said, “Of course, Sid. Always happy to play fancy. Show you I clean up nice.” Geno winked flirtily at Sid and reveled in the reddening of Sid’s cheeks. Just because Sid didn’t like him back didn’t mean Geno would stop trying.

“Thanks Geno. I’m no good at parties and I really couldn’t do this without you.” Then it was Geno’s turn to blush and he deflected by asking, “So, what we need for tonight?” and the rest of the afternoon was spent going over proper séance procedure and signs of haunting in hotel settings.

_X_

Geno meets Sid a block away from the PPG Hotel as they had predetermined and he is floored. For once, Sid’s abandoned his usual jeans and polo and squeezed into a navy blue suit that fits him like a glove, accentuating his not-insignificant assets. Geno is stunned enough that he almost misses Sid stuttering out, “Wow, you weren’t lying when you said you clean up well.”

Geno forces a casual attitude and gestures at himself. “This old thing? Make me blush, Sid.” And truthfully, Geno is blushing, as is Sid, and they stand awkwardly staring at each other for a moment before Sid coughs and gestures at the luggage carrier with their supplies.

“Well, we should head over so we have time to store this before going to the party, and I think Flower wanted to talk to us before we do anything, alright?”

“Alright, Sid.” Geno falls in step next to Sid and they start walking the rest of the way to the hotel, Sid towing the suitcase behind him. “So, you big history nerd, know anything about this PPG Hotel?” Geno asks.

Sid’s eyes brighten a bit as he starts talking. “Oh yeah, the PPG Hotel has been here since 1967, though it used to be called Consol and before that the Mellon. There was a big fire in the mid-70s that resulted in a few deaths, and I’m pretty sure that’s where these ghosts, if there are any, come from. Lives lost traumatically tend to have the hardest time moving on.” Geno nods. That had been one of the first things Sid had taught him when he met him all those years ago, newly displaced from Russia and looking for work.

The brief overview gets them to the front of the hotel, and Sid and Geno pause briefly before doing their handshake ritual prior to entering, a habit they came up with together to ward against evil when entering haunted buildings. When they enter the lobby, Sid is briefly waylaid by a tall skinny man with a bright smile and is wrapped into a tight hug. “Thanks so much for coming, mon chum. Glad to finally get you out and about!” Sid is released just before he starts looking truly uncomfortable. “And you must be Geno!” The man reaches out and shakes Geno’s hand before also pulling him into a hug, “Sid’s told me so much about you!”

“So, this is Flower. He was my roommate in college and we’ve stayed in touch since then. Now’s he’s managing the hotel.” Sid, ever polite and Canadian, completes the introduction properly when the man, Flower, finally releases Geno from his hug.

“Too ugly to be Flower, I’m think.” Geno pokes his tongue out a bit at his joke and Flower’s smile grows wider.

Flower’s eyes flick up and down, sizing Geno up. “Your friend’s a dick, Sid. I like him.”

“He’s not a…!” Sid splutters, “Geno’s very nice!” (Geno laughs a bit at that, because Sid’s only too happy to call him a dick to his face when Geno is chirping him at the office).

Flower’s smile turns a bit mischievous and he says, “As long as he’s nice to you, mon chum. He is your date tonight, after all.” Sid continues to splutter and Geno can admire how easily Flower makes Sid lose his usual cool and collected demeanor (it is, after all, one of his favorite pastimes when things are slow at the office). “Speaking of dates, the party is in the Lemieux Conference room. Mario is fundraising for the local hockey youth programs, so some of the Penguins players are doing meet and greets with donors over dinner. You two just need to go in and mingle and enjoy the evening.”

“Of course we can do that,” Sid says, and Geno rolls his eyes because Sid is a huge hockey fan (though, Geno is as well, and they often spend downtime in the office debating the merits of Canadian versus Russian hockey). “And what about the haunting?”

“Oh right,” Flower says. “I’ve arranged for you two to stay in the most haunted room and you can do your séance stuff after the party.”

“So what type of haunting have you been experiencing?” Sid asks. “Apparitions? Moving furniture? Odd noises and scents?”

“Yes, all of that,” Flower replies. “Now, I’ll take your bags up to the room so you can go straight to work at the dinner. Here’s your key, have fun!” Flower hurriedly shoves the key into Sid’s hand, and starts pushing him and Geno towards the conference rooms after they’ve dropped the suitcase and their overnight bags. Geno feels slightly suspicious but he figures that all Canadians are a bit weird and goes along with Sid to the hallway where all the conference rooms are.

“Relax, Sid,” he says when they get to the Lemieux room. “Is only dinner, and with hockey players! So we just go in there and tell players how to fix the power play and eat delicious food. Will be fine. Then we can get to business and tell ghosts to move on to other side.” Sid loses some of the tension in his frame and nods, so Geno carefully places his hand in the small of Sid’s back, and herds him into the room.

The evening does pass very pleasantly, both he and Sid are able to relax into conversations with their neighbors at the table, talking about the youth hockey program (of which Sid has coached a couple of teams when he had free time) and the Penguins players are all very polite. Geno also likes being able to rest his arm behind Sid and hold him close like a real date would, and Sid leans into his side and it feels very right, even if there’s a small ache in his gut because he knows Sid is putting on an act. But there’s champagne and delicious food, and even a decadent strawberry cheesecake for dessert, which is Sid’s favorite, and he happily accepts a bite from Geno when he holds it up on his fork in front of Sid’s face (Geno thinks of dirty socks and the Steelers losing the Superbowl to keep from having an awkward conversation after the pleased sound that Sid makes while he has his mouth wrapped around Geno’s fork). Geno thinks it would be the best date he’s been on in a long time, if it were an actual date.

Afterwards, after Mario Lemieux himself has thanked everyone for coming and everyone else heads up to their rooms or out into the warm summer evening, Sid and Geno head up to the room Flower’s provided them on one of the upper levels of the hotel. Geno internally curses Flower though, when they open the door to find a single heart shaped bed covered in rose petals and soft R&B music playing through hidden speakers.

“Huh. So, this, uh, must be where the most guests have reported hauntings have been happening.” Sid’s face pales a bit and then reddens before he continues, “We should set up, and then nap until the witching hour when a séance will be most potent.” Geno nods and goes to grab the suitcase with the candles and chalk in it from the corner where Flower or one of the staff has stashed it.

“Should change into comfy clothes first, Sid. Don’t want to wrinkle nice suit.” Sid nods, and takes his overnight bag into the bathroom to change while Geno sets up the summoning circle and unlit candles on the table in the corner where they’ll hold the ritual at three in the morning, when the veil between the spirit and mundane world are thinnest. He finishes just before Sid emerges from the bathroom and Geno feels a bit like the wind has been knocked out of him. As good as he thought Sid had looked in his suit, it doesn’t compare to how affected Geno is to see him in an old Shattuck St. Mary’s shirt and pajama pants. Sid looks soft and domestic and Geno yearns for that.

“Um, bathroom’s open so you can change too.” Sid slides a hand through his hair, wet from rinsing out the hair gel he always insists on using way too much of, and Geno practically scurries into the bathroom to go through his nightly routine and get into his own set of pajamas. He has done several séances with Sid already, but never overnight or in as intimate setting as a hotel’s honeymoon suite (he is seriously going to have words with Flower about that, ghosts and haunting or not). When he finishes, he finds Sid sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed.

“I called the front desk to see if they had any cots or anything, but they were all out. And the bed’s kinda ridiculous, but it’s large enough if you don’t mind sharing?” Sid says, very carefully not looking at Geno.

Geno gulps; this whole situation was getting kind of ridiculous, but it wasn’t worth fighting over when there were several hours before they had work to do. “Okay. I’m set alarm,” he replies, and sets about arranging pillows on the right side of the bed (Sid has a weird thing about having to be the farthest from the door, and in this business, Geno has come to respect superstitions, even if Sid has a rather large amount of them). After setting the alarm for a quarter before 3 a.m., Geno places the phone on the side table, turning off the lamp as he goes, and lies down on the bed, having to angle his body awkwardly to keep his long legs on the bed (seriously, he understands romance, but a heart shaped bed is just too much). Sid settles down next to him about an arms-length away then starts cracking up.

“What so funny, Sid?” Geno turns to face Sid, who is still laughing his adorable breathless giggle.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry, I know we need to sleep, it’s just…” Sid keeps interrupting himself to laugh, but stoically continues, “There’s a fucking mirror on the ceiling.” Geno looks up, and sees the mirror dimly in the low light leaking in from the hallway under the door, unmistakably showing Sid cracking up and Geno angled unnaturally to keep his entire body on the bed. Sid’s mirth and the oddity of the situation breaks the tension in Geno and he starts laughing too.

“Sid, go to sleep, get mind out of gutter!” Geno teases, pushing at Sid’s shoulder, still chuckling, before rolling over and closing his eyes.

“Alright, alright. I’m done!” Sid wheezes a little, but his breathing slows, and his weight shifts on the other side of the bed. A few moments later, Geno hears his quiet, “Goodnight, G.”

Geno responds with a soft, “Goodnight, Sid,” and in just a few moments, falls asleep.

_X_

When Geno’s alarm goes off just a few hours later, he wakes up cuddled next to Sid, tucked right up into his chest, and he sighs happily before he realizes the awkwardness of the position. He looks up at Sid, who has a dozy smile on his face. “You awake?” Sid asks when Geno tenses up, before opening his eyes.

Geno is struck by an urge to kiss the sleepy look from Sid’s face, but luckily he’s able to suppress the urge before he ruins anything. Instead, he slowly sits up and stretches, then face washes Sid, saying, “Get up, lazy, time to summon ghosts and tell them to go to the light.”

They both carefully light the candles around the edge of the summoning circle drawn in chalk on the table and take their seats across from each other. Sid keeps an eye on the time, and when the witching hour begins he reaches across the table and grabs Geno’s hands and they begin chanting the summoning. Geno isn’t sure how long they’ve been chanting, it could have been hours or maybe just a few minutes (time during the witching hour never runs linear it seems) when he finally hears some voices.

“Hmm, so much sexual tension in this room, I could cut it with a knife.”

“Carol!” a second voice adds in a chiding tone. “Don’t be rude!”

“Stating the obvious isn’t rude, Maude,” the first voice, Carol, responds. “It’s just being honest.”

Sid clears his throat a little to catch their attention. “Umm, hello. Thank you for joining us. Are there any more coming besides the two of you?”

“Oh no,” Maude replies, “It’s always just been Carol and me. And who do we have the pleasure of speaking with tonight?”

“Of course, I apologize for being rude. I’m Sid, and this is Geno.”

“Pleased to meet,” Geno adds, feeling it’s always a good idea to be polite to ghosts.

“So,” Sid clears his throat again. “How long have you two been at the hotel?” The question gets both of the ghosts talking, occasionally interrupting each other, but a few things become clear as they go on. First, that Carol and Maude had been staying on the top floor of the hotel when the fire in 1975 had cut them off from being able to get out in time, and that initially there had been more spirits who’d eventually moved on. Second, Carol and Maude had been together for several years before they’d died. And third, Carol was honest to a fault and Maude wasn’t much able to reign her in.

“Enough about us, how long have you two been together?”

Geno chokes a little bit and accidentally squeezes Sid’s hands, which he’s still holding from the summoning earlier. Sid blushes and says, “We’re umm, we’re not…”

“No?” Carol continues. “You sure fooled us! You both looked very comfy on that bed earlier.”

“Not to mention downstairs at the party.” Maude adds, and Geno reevaluates thinking of her as the polite one.

“You were watching us?” Sid asks, a little bit indignantly.

“It’s very boring here,” Carol replies.

“And it’s always nice to see couples like you in public, even if it’s more common now than it was during our day and age.”

“Well, we’re not actually dating…” Sid mumbles.

“Do you not like each other?”

Geno can’t help but look at Sid to see what Sid will say, but Sid only briefly meets his eyes before looking away quickly and saying, just barely above a whisper, “That’s not really the point.” Geno’s heart beats a little faster.

“Of course that’s the point!” Carol interjects. “That’s the only point that matters. If you like him, and he likes you, then why not be together? Life’s only so long, you know.”

“Speaking of life!” Sid not so smoothly changes the subject, “what’s been keeping you two here? You don’t seem traumatized and you haven’t been seeking revenge or anything. Why haven’t you moved on?”

A long silence follows the question, giving Geno entirely too long to think about the possibility that maybe Sid likes him back, but he tries to refocus on the matter at hand - convincing Carol and Maude to move on to the other side - when Carol finally answers, “I guess we just don’t want to be apart again.”

“Move on not mean leave loved ones.” Geno says, speaking for the first time in a while, having been only too happy to let Sid drive the conversation like usual. But this is important, and he needs to let Maude and Carol know that they can find peace and move on. “When I’m small,” he says, “was skating on pond playing hockey when ice crack and I fall through. Almost die.” Sid squeezes Geno’s hands, even though he’s heard the story before, both in depth during some of their shared downtime working in the office together and being retold for other spirits looking for reassurance when moving on. “Before my papa and brother rescue me, had vision of other side, and people there. All my passed family.”

“Oh,” says Maude quietly, “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Is not bad. Just bright, and full of love.” Geno adds.

A weighty silence takes place and Geno and Sid hold their breath, not wanting to interrupt such an important decision.

“I think we’re ready,” Carol says a few minutes later. “But, how do we…?”

“It’s cliché, but you just head into the light.” Sid answers, and then…

“Oh, there it is!” Carol’s voice is already fainter, and Geno knows she’s crossing over.

“Don’t forget, you don’t have forever, so don’t wait for what you can have.” And with Maude’s parting words, the candles on the table sputter out and the room falls dark, feeling emptier than before.

Geno’s chest is tight and his hands are still entangled in Sid’s. “Sid,” his voice is too loud in his ears, but it doesn’t matter. “You like me?”

Sid’s breath hitches, but he hums in the affirmative. “Yes, Geno. So much.”

Geno gets out of his chair, finally dropping Sid’s hands, and moves around the table carefully in the dark until he’s next to Sid. Sid turns to face him and Geno gets down on his knees then slowly, so Sid has enough time to say no, he kisses him.

Geno pulls back after a moment to say, “I like you, too, Sid. So much.”

“Oh,” Sid says softly. “We’re really stupid, aren’t we?”

“Little bit,” Geno chuckles. “Lucky we meet lesbian ghosts so we not be stupid too long.” Sid laughs too, but now that he can, Geno can’t stand the thought of wasting any more time and kisses Sid again, and it’s so good. It’s everything Geno has been looking for these last few years, and more, because Sid likes him back and he’s never had a better companion than Sid.

Later, when they’re wrapped around each other blissfully in the ridiculous heart-shaped bed, Geno feels nothing but happy, and he falls asleep to Sid’s soft kisses.

_X_

Geno and Sid had woken up smiling at each other before realizing that they only had half an hour to get everything put together in time for checkout and had to scramble to be ready in time to meet Flower once more in the lobby to let him know how it had gone. They both look improperly disheveled, and if he weren’t so happy, Geno would probably feel embarrassed. As it is, he’s only able to muster a smug look when Flower gives him and Sid a once over when they rush out of the elevator and over to meet him.

“Good night?” he asks them pointedly, ever-present smile wide and toothy.

“Of course,” Sid replies, forcefully ignoring the subtext. “We were able to convince your ghosts to move on without any tantrums, so that’s a plus.”

“Oh? There were actually ghosts?” Flower’s smile grows even wider. “Please, Sid, you’d been talking about your crush on Geno non-stop for the last few years. Tanger and I knew that you’d never do anything about it, so we came up with this to force your hand a bit. Be lucky this worked. We were gonna lock you in a closet together next.”

Sid splutters indignantly but Geno interrupts him before he can form a coherent response. “Sid, you have crush on me? How embarrassing!”

“Like you didn’t have a crush on me back!” Sid’s face is an adorable red, and Geno can’t help but to kiss him.

“Yes, super big crush on you,” Geno agrees. His insides feel mushy and he’s sure his face is pretty embarrassing right now.

“Ugh, you two lovebirds get out of my hotel! Feel free to use one of the conference rooms for your wedding in a few months!” Flower pushes them toward the exit, and Geno and Sid don’t protest.

“Is good idea. I have big bed and no creepy sex mirror.” Geno smiles at Sid, who blushes and smiles back.

“Alright, let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was a lot of fun, but I'm never writing on a deadline again (she says after saying that last time). Hope you enjoyed this tiny piece of SidGeno fic I could bring to the table!


End file.
